


take a deep breath

by ich_bin_ein_stern



Series: The AtsuHina Files [4]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Doubt, Flirting, Intimacy, M/M, Official Get Together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ich_bin_ein_stern/pseuds/ich_bin_ein_stern
Summary: Even now, when Hinata looks coyly at him over the menu of the restaurant Bokuto suggested and he, who had begun to gently rub his foot up and down Hinata’s leg while smilingly carefree, the taste of bittersweetness has begun.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Series: The AtsuHina Files [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953907
Comments: 12
Kudos: 258





	take a deep breath

Atsumu enjoys a good tease, but this is getting ridiculous. _It is my fault_ , he thinks. _I couldn’t keep my mouth shut._ And now Hinata is acting like a little minx. He’s openly flirtatious with Atsumu; utterly cheesy with his words and playfully shy. And he speaks up at the “wrong” time, at times baffling Bokuto and annoying Sakusa; although the latter mostly blames Atsumu for those occurrences. The image of cute, innocent Hinata was shattered the moment Hinata pushed back with his serious flirting.

“Serious flirting” consists of lingering hands on the lower back or sitting next to each other with hands rubbing upper inner thighs. It consists of playfully licking takeout sauce that dribbled down beautiful, slender fingers and hands slipping under sweaty practice uniforms where gentle fingers trail along moist skin. There’s heavy petting when they are sitting a bit secluded in the back of the bus and seductive words exchanged between each other have become common.

However, no outright declarations have been made and no kisses have been exchanged. Atsumu doesn’t want a “friends with benefits” arrangement with Hinata. To be frank, even a suggestion of such a setup would break his heart. Even now, when Hinata looks coyly at him over the menu of the restaurant Bokuto suggested and he, who had begun to gently rub his foot up and down Hinata’s leg while smilingly carefree, the taste of bittersweetness has begun. 

What is Hinata hoping to gain from all of this?

_What are his intentions?_

He has already gone through heartbreak once because the smaller man took off for Brazil for a couple of years and he had to find out through the grapevine. It wasn’t Hinata’s fault, of course, because Atsumu never professed his feelings out of fear for rejection during the other man’s two remaining years of high school. Even now, as he hooks his ankle around Hinata’s and stills, there’s something sad about not having resolution despite the months that have gone into this act between them. 

There must have been a change in his expression because now Hinata is looking at him concerned. What makes Atsumu feel even worse is that, at this moment, Hinata pulls away, head bowed, and remains relatively silent during the meal. This is noticed by everyone and there is an attempt to cheer him up but Hinata’s response is a muted smile.

Towards the end of dinner, Hinata excuses himself to the bathroom and Atsumu is left with feeling like maybe this’ll be the end of “them” (so to speak).

“Maybe someone should go check on him? He’s been gone for a while.”

Before Bokuto can leap to his feet, Atsumu stands up. “I’ll go check on him. Maybe he has an upset stomach or something.” _Or maybe he’s filled with regret?_

The bathroom is relatively big when Atsumu enters it and he’s silently thankful his entrance is quiet. When he rounds the short corner, he freezes. Hands braced on the sink and water dripping from his face through the mirror, Hinata is looking down and shaken. The inevitable confrontation is upon them; it’s now or never.

Atsumu pulls a few paper towels free from the paper towel dispenser and the noise causes Hinata to shoot to an upright position, wary expression in place. Hinata stares at him through the mirror as water droplets trail down his face. Atsumu considers it a step forward when the shorter man takes the offered paper towels and pats himself dry.

“Are we alright?” He jumps straight to the point.

Hinata tilts his head. “I don’t know, are we?”

“Don’t be like that, Shouyou-kun.”

“I should be saying that to you.”

Atsumu sighs. “Did I do something to upset you?”

Hinata crumbles the paper towels and tosses them into the trash bin, but he makes no move to leave. “We were fine for a while and then you started pulling away from me. Did I go too far? Are you no longer i-interested?” There’s a hitch in his breath followed by Hinata wiping at his eyes. 

Atsumu panics. “It’s not just you, I swear! It’s me, too. It’s both of us.”

“Then what happened? I can make it better!”

“It’s not that simple.” Atsumu roughly runs his fingers through his hair before covering his face, a sound of frustration escaping his throat. “Okay,” he says. “Okay.” He tries to calm himself down. He can do this. He can. He _can._

But Hinata beats him to the one thing he wants to say: “What do you want out of this...thing between us? Because you started it, by teasing me first, and I thought if I went along with it you’d realize how I feel - “

Atsumu’s head jerks up. “How you feel?!”

Hinata starts to babble, eyes on the ground and thumbs twiddling together. “I thought the teasing was your way of letting me know you were interested in me too, even if you didn’t feel the same. And then things started becoming more serious bit by bit, these moments between us that are so much more intimate than I thought they would be. Then, tonight, it’s like you just shut off, that you were no longer interested.” Large tears fall down Hinata’s cheeks. “Or maybe you just want a f-friends-with-benefits thing. I won’t do that. I’m sorry. My heart wouldn’t be able to take it - ”

Atsumu surges forward. He immediately crowds Hinata up against the bathroom sink, one hand on his lower back to keep him from getting hurt and the other cupping the back of his neck. The kiss he gives Hinata is unfiltered desire, aggressive in its passion, and bubbling over with relief of love. 

Hinata kisses back.

“I’m sorry,” he manages while pressing kisses all over Hinata’s face. “I’m so sorry. I’ve loved you for so long. I swear to God it was love-at-first-sight all those years ago in high school. I was devastated when you left for Brazil even if it meant more training. Having you back with me as my teammate, as _my_ spiker, is one of the best things to happen to me.”

He pulls back. Hinata is staring up at him with wide eyes and flushed cheeks, no tears in sight but eyes red-rimmed. 

“You…”

Bracing himself but remaining close, Atsumu waits.

“You kissed me to shut me up...”

“I’m not always the best with words.”

Hinata nods slowly, and then he smiles (small and a bit reserved). “You love me.”

“I do.”

“You don’t want a friends-with-benefits thing with me?”

“No!” Atsumu leans down to nuzzle against his temple. “To be honest, something like that would break my heart.”

Sigh.

Atsumu pulls away just enough to look down at him and smile. “I love you.”

“I love you too. So, so much.”

Their second kiss is much, much sweeter this time. They’re so wrapped up in the kiss that they don’t see the bathroom door open before quickly closing.

* * *

  
“They’re okay!” Bokuto announces back at the table. “They just had to figure things out for themselves.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr](https://i-just-really-love-sakura.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/stan_haikyuu?s=09)


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